Written by

Ken Serrano

and Michael Symons

TRENTON — The joint committee tasked with probing the September closing of George Washington Bridge access lanes by an ally of Gov. Chris Christie is issuing 18 more subpoenas, widening an investigation that already has touched some of the governor’s closest aides.

The list, not publicly released, was obtained by the Asbury Park Press and confirmed by a source close to the investigative panel.

The source said 14 individuals were set to get new subpoenas, two custodians of records for state agencies — including the state police aviation unit — and Christie’s office and campaign, which were previously subpoenaed. Two of the individuals named in this round were previously issued subpoenas as well.

The committee is looking at the aviation unit, which operates the helicopter the governor uses, to see whether Christie flew near Fort Lee in a helicopter during the closing of the access lanes between Sept. 9 and 13, a second source close to the investigation said.

The announcement of the new subpoenas came after a two-hour closed door session held so the Joint Legislative Select Committee on Investigation’s special counsel could advise the members on constitutional issues surrounding the refusal to respond to the subpoenas by Bridget Anne Kelly, a former deputy chief of staff in Christie’s office, and Bill Stepien, Christie’s former campaign manager.

Returning from that executive session, the committee voted along party lines on whether to take action against the holdouts, with the eight Democratic committee members voting in favor of six motions and all four Republican members abstaining from each.

Republicans said they didn’t have enough time to absorb all the legal information.

Assemblyman Gregory McGuckin, R-Ocean, who was filling in for Assemblywoman Amy Handlin, R-Monmouth, said, “It’s a very complicated legal issue — Fifth Amendment rights. And with that we were handed a list of six motions to be adopted today while we were in executive session receiving them in the middle of executive session.”

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In response to the Republican’s actions, Assemblyman John Wisniewski, D-Middlesex and co-chairman of the committee, said, “There are no Democratic facts or Republican facts here — just the facts.”

There were two sets of three identical motions.

The first motion in each set confirmed that the subject matter of the inquiry was within the scope and authority of the committee. Attorneys for both Kelly and Stepien maintained that it was not. The second motion rejected the constitutional arguments of Kelly and Stepien, who both cited constitutional protections against self-incrimination and unreasonable search and seizure.

And the third motion had to do with authorizing counsel to set a new date for Kelly and Stepien to comply and to enforce subpoenas.

The committee fell short of holding Kelly and Stepien in contempt.

Wisniewski said the committee would give “one last shot” to them to provide documents and “appropriate legal steps” would be taken if they continue to refuse to comply.

Kelly’s lawyer, Michael Critchley, said he would fight the committee’s efforts to force Kelly to turn over the documents.

“That’s what they have judges for,” he said.

The committee’s attorney, Reid Schar, would have to compel them to respond to the subpoena in state court, he said.

Stepien’s attorney, Kevin Marino, echoed Critchley.

“We have provided the committee with a detailed explanation of our constitutional and common law objections to the subpoena,” he said. “If the committee asks a court to enforce that subpoena despite its legal infirmities, we will bring those objections to the court’s attention.”

The 18 subpoenas include four to subjects who received subpoenas in January — Christie’s office and his re-election campaign; Regina Egea, director of the Authorities Unit in Christie’s counsel’s office and his choice to become his next chief of staff; and Bill Baroni, the former deputy executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Baroni was one of four subpoena recipients who met last Monday’s deadline for submitting documents to the legislative panel.

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Four other employees in Christie’s office are also being issued subpoenas: Nicole Crifo, who is senior counsel in the Authorities Unit; Jeanne Ashmore, director of constituent relations; Rosemary Iannacone, director of operations; and Barbara Panebianco, executive assistant to Kelly, who sent the now-famous “time for some traffic problems” email that appears to have set in motion the lane closings. Crifo’s subpoena is interesting in part because an earlier subpoena was sent to campaign fundraiser Nicole Davidman Drewniak, in the apparent search for a “Nicole” who favorably assessed Baroni’s December testimony at an Assembly transportation committee hearing about the bridge incident.

In addition to the subpoena being served again on Baroni, eight employees at the Port Authority and its records custodian were also directed to turn over documents. They include William “Pat” Schuber, a Port Authority commissioner and former Bergen County executive, and Phillip Kwon, deputy chief counsel at the Port Authority. Kwon was nominated by Christie to the state Supreme Court but voted down by the judiciary committee in 2012; he was then appointed to the authority job. A report in the Wall Street Journal said Kwon helped Baroni prepare his December testimony, in which Baroni claimed the access lanes were closed for a traffic study.

Recipients of the other new subpoenas beings served at the Port Authority include Mark Muriello, assistant director of tunnels, bridges and terminals; Matthew Bell, a special assistant to Baroni; Gretchen DiMarco, an assistant to Baroni; Arielle Schwarz, special assistant to former authority executive David Wildstein, who as director of interstate capital projects directed the lane-closure operation; John Ma, chief of staff to executive director Patrick Foye; and Steve Coleman, deputy director of media relations.

State employees subpoenaed in the case have already asked to have attorney’s fees picked up the Attorney General’s office so they can respond, Leland Moore, a spokesman for the office said.

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Lawmakers set the original deadline of Feb. 3 for the initial 20 subpoenas, but none of Christie’s administration staffers met it, with most asking for more time to provide all the requested information.

Wisniewski said after the hearing that information is gradually arriving.

Of those the committee had previously subpoenaed, three Port Authority employees and one former employee have fully complied: Baroni, Philippe Danielides, Cristina Lado and Paul Nunziato.

Baroni was the authority’s deputy executive director until he resigned as scrutiny of the September lane closures mounted.